Sanford Senior Care Sheldon

Name: Sanford Senior Care Sheldon
Address: 118 North Seventh Avenue, Sheldon, IA, 51201, US
Telephone: 7123246453

118 North Seventh Avenue, Sheldon, IA 51201 · Obrien County · 70 certified beds · avg 43 residents/day · certified since May 1, 1978

1/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

$11,872

Fines, last 3 years

4.20

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)

Health inspection rating: ★☆☆☆☆1/5 · CMS overall rating: 1/5

The health inspection star above is graded on a curve within each state — a set share of each state's facilities gets each star level — so a facility can have few citations and still rate 2–3 stars if others in its state did even better. The overall rating combines that inspection score with staffing and self-reported quality measures.

Most serious findings (actual harm or immediate jeopardy)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · Mar 13, 2025 · F-0686 · triggered by a complaint

The facility did not provide proper care for pressure ulcers (bedsores) or did not do enough to prevent new ones from forming. Bedsores develop when residents stay in one position too long without help moving.

Why it matters: Bedsores are painful, can become deeply infected, and in serious cases can be life-threatening.

Severity (J): Inspectors found a situation that put a resident's life or safety in immediate danger, affecting one or a few residents. The facility must fix it immediately — these citations often come with large fines.

Corrected: Mar 14, 2025 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, repeated · Feb 1, 2024 · F-0684 · triggered by a complaint

The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals.

Why it matters: Care that strays from doctor's orders or ignores the resident's wishes can lead to declining health and avoidable harm.

Severity (K): A life-threatening or extremely dangerous situation affected several residents. Among the most serious findings an inspection can produce.

Corrected: Feb 2, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, repeated · Feb 1, 2024 · F-0880 · triggered by a complaint

The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide.

Why it matters: Weak infection control lets illnesses like flu, COVID-19, and drug-resistant infections spread quickly among vulnerable residents.

Severity (K): A life-threatening or extremely dangerous situation affected several residents. Among the most serious findings an inspection can produce.

Corrected: Feb 2, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · Jun 29, 2023 · F-0689

The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.

Why it matters: This is one of the most common citations and directly relates to falls and injuries, which can be devastating for older adults.

Corrected: May 28, 2023 (Past Non-Compliance)

All citations in the current public record (21)

CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed.

Date	Severity	What the facility was cited for
Jun 1, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide. · from a complaint
Mar 5, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft to the proper authorities quickly enough, or did not report the results of its investigation. · from a complaint
Nov 6, 2025	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not prepare and serve food in a form that meets each resident's individual needs — for example, chopped, pureed, or softened food for residents with chewing or swallowing problems.
Nov 6, 2025	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards.
Nov 6, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not immediately notify the resident, their doctor, and a family member when something significant happened — such as an injury, a decline in health, or a room change. Families and doctors are entitled to know right away.
Nov 6, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not develop a resident's complete plan of care within 7 days of the full assessment, or the plan wasn't prepared, reviewed, and updated by a team of health professionals as required.
Nov 6, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide the care needed to maintain or improve residents' movement and flexibility — such as range-of-motion exercises — leading to avoidable decline.
Nov 6, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide enough food and fluids to keep residents healthy, such as preventing unplanned weight loss or dehydration.
Mar 13, 2025	▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off	The facility did not provide proper care for pressure ulcers (bedsores) or did not do enough to prevent new ones from forming. Bedsores develop when residents stay in one position too long without help moving. · from a complaint
Oct 3, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not immediately notify the resident, their doctor, and a family member when something significant happened — such as an injury, a decline in health, or a room change. Families and doctors are entitled to know right away.
Oct 3, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not give residents (and their representatives and the ombudsman, a state advocate for residents) proper advance notice before a transfer or discharge, including information about their right to appeal.
Oct 3, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not accurately assess a resident's health and needs. Assessments are the foundation for all the care a resident receives.
Oct 3, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility provided care that did not meet professional standards of quality — the accepted standards that nurses and other clinicians are expected to follow.
Oct 3, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals.
Oct 3, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not try to gradually reduce doses of mood- and mind-altering medications or use non-drug approaches first, as required, or used 'as needed' psychiatric drugs without proper limits.
Feb 1, 2024	▲ K · Immediate jeopardy, repeated	The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals. · from a complaint
Feb 1, 2024	▲ K · Immediate jeopardy, repeated	The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide. · from a complaint
Jun 29, 2023	▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off	The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Jun 29, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not develop a resident's complete plan of care within 7 days of the full assessment, or the plan wasn't prepared, reviewed, and updated by a team of health professionals as required.
Jun 29, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not accurately assess a resident's health and needs. Assessments are the foundation for all the care a resident receives.
Jun 29, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	When a resident had a planned discharge, the facility did not make sure the necessary information was communicated to the resident and to the doctors or facility taking over their care.

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections stayed about the same across the last two inspection cycles (6 → 6).

Year	Citations	Serious (G–L)	Worst severity that year
2023	4	1	J ▲
2024	8	2	K ▲
2025	7	1	J ▲
2026	2	0	D

Counts reflect the current CMS public record (~3 inspection cycles plus complaint investigations); years with no surveys show no row. Inspection frequency varies, so compare severity as well as counts.

Fines and enforcement (last 3 years)

1 fine totaling $11,872.

Date	Type	Amount / length
Feb 1, 2024	Fine	$11,872

Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)

Measure	This facility	Iowa avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	4.20	4.37	3.95	bottom 48% in Iowa; top 32% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	0.73	0.85	0.69	bottom 40% in Iowa; top 34% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	3.73	3.86	3.50	bottom 48% in Iowa; top 32% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.46	0.51	0.48	top 49% in Iowa; top 38% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	58.9	44.0	45.8	bottom 14% in Iowa; bottom 18% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	76.9	42.1	42.9	bottom 10% in Iowa; bottom 7% in the U.S.

Hours are per resident per day, case-mix adjusted by CMS so facilities caring for sicker residents can be compared fairly (same basis as the CMS staffing star). "Top X%" means better than most facilities: more staffing hours, or lower turnover. Raw (unadjusted) reported hours: total 3.43, RN 0.59, weekend 3.05. Staffing rating: 3/5.

Self-reported quality measures

Note: these ratings are based on data the facility reports about itself to CMS. They are not independently verified by inspectors, and can look better than inspection findings. Give more weight to the inspection results above.

Quality measures rating: 2/5 · long-stay residents: 2/5 · short-stay residents: —/5

Who owns this facility

Non profit - Corporation

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
		Ownership Data Not Available

Questions to ask on your visit

Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.

"How do you prevent bedsores for residents who can't move themselves, and how often are at-risk residents repositioned?"
"How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
"Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
"What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
"When abuse or theft is suspected, who do you notify, how fast, and how do you inform the family?"
"How do you handle residents who need modified food textures, and how do you make those meals appetizing?"
"What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
"If my family member falls or their condition changes, exactly when and how will I be notified?"
"What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
"Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"

Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)

Facility	Distance	City	Overall	Inspection
Prairie View Home	10.2 mi	Sanborn, IA	★★★★★	5/5
Good Samaritan - George	13.5 mi	George, IA	★★★★★	3/5
Pleasant Acres Care Center	15.0 mi	Hull, IA	★★★☆☆	3/5
Sibley Specialty Care	15.3 mi	Sibley, IA	★★★★★	3/5
Prairie Ridge Care Center	15.6 mi	Orange City, IA	★★★★★	4/5
Osceola Senior Living	16.3 mi	Sibley, IA	★★★★★	4/5
Community Memorial Health Center	18.1 mi	Hartley, IA	★★★☆☆	2/5
Crown Pointe Estates Care Center	18.2 mi	Sioux Center, IA	★★★★☆	3/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Sheldon →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 16E263.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Sanford Senior Care Sheldon

118 North Seventh Avenue, Sheldon, IA 51201 · 7123246453

Health inspection rating 1/5 · CMS overall 1/5· Fines (3y): $11,872

Most serious findings on record:

▲ Mar 13, 2025 (F-0686, Immediate jeopardy, one-off): The facility did not provide proper care for pressure ulcers (bedsores) or did not do enough to prevent new ones from forming. Bedsores develop when residents stay in one position too long without help moving.
▲ Feb 1, 2024 (F-0684, Immediate jeopardy, repeated): The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals.
▲ Feb 1, 2024 (F-0880, Immediate jeopardy, repeated): The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide.

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "How do you prevent bedsores for residents who can't move themselves, and how often are at-risk residents repositioned?"
☐ "How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
☐ "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
☐ "What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
☐ "When abuse or theft is suspected, who do you notify, how fast, and how do you inform the family?"
☐ "How do you handle residents who need modified food textures, and how do you make those meals appetizing?"
☐ "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
☐ "If my family member falls or their condition changes, exactly when and how will I be notified?"
☐ "What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
☐ "Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"

While you're there, notice:

☐ Smell and cleanliness in hallways, not just the lobby
☐ How staff speak to residents; call lights answered promptly
☐ Residents up, dressed, and engaged (visit mealtimes and a weekend if you can)

Data: CMS Provider Data Catalog, version 2026-08-01 · CCN 16E263 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)